The invention relates to a coupling system for mechanically coupling a coupling device to a counter-coupling device, in particular for mechanically coupling a positioning mechanism on a gripper rail.
A coupling system of this type is known for example from WO 2009/135552 A1, and in a mechanical press serves to connect a positioning device detachably to a gripper rail. The coupling system in this case has a locking device which is capable of locking a coupling device connected to the positioning device to a counter-coupling device connected to the gripper rail. The locking in this case takes place by means of locking balls, which are either pressed into a locking position or released by an axially displaceable tensioning pin. The tensioning pin in such case therefore has to be displaced axially for locking or unlocking. A pivotable actuating lever serves for this, which lever turns a gear wheel which engages in corresponding toothing in the tensioning pin, so that pivoting of the actuating lever results in corresponding axial displacement of the tensioning pin.
In the coupling system according to WO 2009/135552 A2, the unlocking can be brought about by jointly moving the coupling device and the counter-coupling device in the coupled-together and locked state laterally against a release projection, so that the release projection pivots the actuating lever and thereby unlocks the coupling system. However, in this case, in addition to the actual coupling motion of the coupling device and counter-coupling device, a transverse motion is necessary in order to press the actuating lever against the release projection.
What is disadvantageous about this known coupling system is the unsatisfactory operation of the locking device.
Coupling systems are likewise known from other fields of technology. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,637,576 discloses what is called a push-pull locking system for furniture for locking a furniture flap on a furniture carcass.
Further, DE 299 10 398 U1 discloses rock tongs for gripping rocks.
These documents however belong to completely different technical fields and do not therefore belong to the genre.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a correspondingly improved coupling system.
This object is achieved by a coupling system according to the invention.